The Calgary International Blues Festival, slated to run this year from August 23-26, will take place at the group’s new permanent location of Pumphouse Park in downtown Calgary.

The festival, which will run four days in 2007, features over 130 of the top regional and international blues acts on the outdoor mainstage, as well as hosting its signature late night Blues Party dances running nightly on site in the beer garden tent once mainstage closes for the evening.

The organizers of the Calgary Bluesfest announced yesterday they’ve added to the the impressive list of headline acts previously announced. Joining the world-class roster are blues-rock giant Javier Vargas and his Vargas Blues Band from Spain; Toronto’s young guitar phenomenon Jimmy Bowskill, who was discovered playing on the street by none other than Jeff Healey; and from St. Louis, Devon Allman’s Honeytribe (the son of Gregg Allman, Devon is true blues royalty). Also added were perennial Calgary blues fan favourites Bill Dowey & the Blues Devils, son of Dutch and heir to the east coast throne, Garrett Mason and his band from Halifax; the Kinsey Report, with a five piece band featuring members of the Mississippi slide guitar giant Donald Kinsey’s family from Gary, Indiana, the R&B kings Blue Rhino Band (Calgary), and up-and-comer Aaron Penton Band with the Calgary Blues Music Association’s “Singing the Blues Competition winner, Curtis Glas (Calgary).

Previously announced were the Edgar Winter Band (Texas), the Duke Robillard Band (Rhode Island), Rick Derringer Band (Florida), Kelley Hunt and her band from Kansas, the Mike Clark Band (Calgary), Highwater Jug Band (Calgary), Albert Cummings Band (New York), Doc MacLean (Toronto), Guy Chaput & Sci-fi Band (Calgary), Little Miss Higgins (Saskatchewan), Stepchyle (Regina), The Perpetrators (Winnipeg), Sista Monica (California), and the Richie Pollack Band (Calgary).

Calgary Bluesfest 2007 will make another artist announcement in June, completing the list of top-drawer performers that will once again grace its stage for the third annual event.